Background/ Objective: In recent decades, physical inactivity has been linked with the onset of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and a risk factor for conditions such as obesity, heart disease and cancer. Primary health care practitioners are well placed to promote physically active lifestyle. The knowledge, attitude and practice of physiotherapists towards promotion of physically active lifestyles among patients are not well known in this part of the world. Therefore the purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of physiotherapists towards promotion of non-treatment physical activity among patients.

Methodology: A total of three hundred and eight (308) practicing physiotherapists (166 males and 142 females) from various hospitals in 14 states of Nigeria participated in the study. They were selected by propulsive sampling technique. They were aged 20 years and above. They completed a structured 20-item questionnaire which collected information on demographic data, work experience and physical activity promotion in physiotherapy practice. Descriptive statistics of frequency, percentages and inferential statistics of chi-square were used for data analysis. The level of significance was p<0.05.

Result: One hundred and ninety six (63.6%) of the respondents had high knowledge and two hundred and ninety two (94.8%) had good attitude towards physical activity promotion in patients’ management. Only 111 (36%) of the respondents counselled more than 10 patients in the past one month on the benefits of adopting a more physically active lifestyles. Chi-square analysis showed that there was a statistically significant association between low practice of physical activity promotion in patient management and lack of time (א²=3.36, p=0.043). There was also a significant association between practice of physical activity promotion in patient management and years of working experience of physiotherapists (א²=11.37, p=0.023) as well as the relative physical activity levels of physiotherapists (א²=11.82, p=0.037). 287 (97%) of the respondents saw the necessity for physical activity recommendation guidelines in Nigeria.

Conclusion: Nigerian physiotherapists are well knowledgeable and have good attitude towards physical activity promotion in patient management but do not practice much of it. Lack of time was the main factor that influenced the practice.

Implication for Physiotherapy/Policy: Considering the fact that in recent years NCDs have been on the increase in Africa, Physiotherapists should create time to practice physical activity promotion in patients’ management. There is need for Physical Activity Recommendation guideline in Nigeria.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Physical activity